Soda Ash

Soda ash (sodium carbonate)

Opportunity Brief

Sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda, soda ash, and soda crystals) is a white, odorless, inorganic compound. Its salts are soluble in water, giving an alkaline solution. It is usually produced by the Solvay process by reacting sodium chloride with calcium carbonate (limestone) in the presence of ammonia as a catalyst. In some areas of the world, sodium carbonate is extracted from trona ore. Sodium carbonate is used as an input in many industries, especially the glass, ceramics, industrial detergents, and paper industries. It is also used to manufacture sodium compounds such as borax. Some grades of it are also used in the food industry, such as baked goods, and are called baking soda.

Investment Opportunity Drivers: Local & Global Perspectives
  • The basic raw materials (sodium chloride “salt”, calcium carbonate “limestone”, and ammonia) are available locally in the governorates of North Sinai, Minya, and Fayoum.
  • The size of the local market during the period from 2019 to 2023 ranges between 125 and 196 million dollars annually, which is equivalent to the size of imports due to the lack of a local industry.
  • The annual local consumption rate ranges between 400,000 and 500,000 tons.
  • The Petrochemical Industries Holding Company aims to establish a soda ash production project with a first-phase production capacity of approximately 600,000 tons. The company is seeking a partner to increase the targeted production capacity.
  • The global demand growth rate reached about 14% during the period from 2019 to 2023.
  • There are significant export opportunities, especially with European markets, with Egypt having a significant competitive advantage due to the free trade agreement with the European Union.
  • Increased demand for detergents and cleaning materials, glass and automotive industries, basic chemical industries,
  • Global demand for soda ash reached US$4 billion in 2022.
  • Home water pumps are classified under the type of self priming centrifugal pumps,
  • H ome water motors (centrifugal pumps) are imported from abroad, through local and other agents
  • There are a number of local pump manufacturers such as (Al Wailer Farid Ahmed Dawood Group Egyptian German Pump Company “Rohr Pumpen Fahim Ragab Sons Arab Organization for Industrialization),
  • There is currently a cooperating with local companies to manufacture submersible pumps for the first time in Egypt
  • The motor pump market is facing a number of challenges, such as high maintenance and operating costs and volatility of oil and gas prices
Imports of the Arab Republic of Egypt
(in millions of dollars)
Customs items for opportunity